Australia: Abbot Point and Curtis Island Projects Approved

Australia’s Federal Minister for the Environment, Greg Hunt, has announced that he has completed the approvals process for four Queensland projects.

He said that “after rigorous assessment, I have completed the approvals process for four Queensland projects under National Environmental Law. I have approved:

• The capital dredging program for the proposed Terminals 0, 2 and 3 at the Port of Abbot Point;

• The Adani T0 project at Abbot Point;

• The Arrow Liquefied Natural Gas Facility on Curtis Island;

• The Arrow Gas Transmission Pipeline to Curtis Island.

“These projects are for existing developed port and industrial sites and have been approved subject to the highest environmental standards and conditions.

“As Federal Environment Minister, one of my key responsibilities is to ensure ecologically sustainable development and maintaining the health of the Great Barrier Reef.”

Under Labor, 33 decisions were made to advance port and dredging activities at Abbot Point and a further 55 at Port of Gladstone.

Under Labor, at least 38 million cubic metres of dredging was proposed for Abbot Point. With the approvals given by the Coalition government, dredging is limited to a total volume of 3 million cubic metres. This is less than one-twelfth the size of the proposal previously supported by the former Labor State and Federal governments.

The previous Rudd-Gillard governments approved or considered over 93 million cubic metres of potential dredge actions at the Port of Gladstone and Abbot Point.

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Press Release, December 10, 2013